User blog:Linusblanket2100/Stories Inspired by Two Steps From Hell
I love to write - it's one of my favorite pastimes and I try to write a story every time TSFH releases one on its YouTube channel. I'm going to be a bit slow uploading them and some will be better than others, but I hope you'll read through them and enjoy them! Heart of Courage Note: Scrambled this down, probably not as good as it should be XP Standing, overlooking the scene of battle What makes one able To go in and fight? A steady heartbeat Every thump a drum or warison Sounding out With every beat A renewed sense of courage Is brought Even in the heat of the battle The heart continues to pound Never faltering Even after the battle is over. What else does a warrior need But a heart of courage? All is Hell that Ends Well The sound of a band tuning up breaks through the quiet sound of the country, which has just started to be surrounded by mist. It comes from the palace, a regal structure whose walls are made out of porcelain and windows out of glass. Inside, a dance has just begun. Those who were invited are dressed like royalty, the ladies in pretty dresses and the men in suits. Each couple joins hands as the music starts. Meanwhile, not too far from the palace, a large group of warriors have gathered on a hill. Their style of clothing is quite different from the royalty at the dance. They wear rather flimsy garments and rusted pieces of armor. Nonetheless, they polish their swords and prepare for the battle that is about to start. The ground suddenly rumbles as their enemy rises from below. They cling to their swords and watch as the hideous, green dragon rises. It surveys its opposition before suddenly starting the battle with a breath of fire. One of the warriors sounds out the battle cry and they attack, arrows shooting wildly and swords digging into the nearest parts of the dragon. However, it is unfazed by them and it simply rises higher, over their heads. It snatched a couple of warriors with its claws and flings them to their death on the rocks below. Unaware of the raging war, the dance continues. The dancers smile at each other as they twirl on the floor, the music sounding “oh-so-relevant to the mood, don’t you think?” The fog thickens a bit, making the sky gray as the battle continues. The warriors fling their swords angrily at the dragon and some arrows are shot, but in vain. All their attempts succeed in doing is pushing the dragon back, forcing the soldiers to run down the hill, both unaware that they are nearing the palace. The dragon breathes some more fire, further depleting the army’s numbers. The dancers are still oblivious to the fight, even as the dragon shadow starts to blacken the windows. All the dancers do is continue to smile at their partners and move in tandem with them, enjoying every minute of the “elegant” dance. Then all hell breaks loose as the two combine. The dragon crashes through the windows, the glass breaking loose. The dancers scream, but the army comes marching in. They ignore the chaos around them, because they only have one thought in mind: we’ve got him now. Indeed, the dragon has been backed into the wall, powerless to move anywhere else. Now was their chance. They run to it as it starts to breathe out some more fire, but that is a futile effort as the soldiers draw on their anger at the beast. They shoot arrows at its chest and head and the swords poke through the tough skin to draw out the red blood of the beast. The onslaught is too strong for it. Arrow after arrow and dagger after dagger are thrown at it and it finally succumbs to its mortality. The dragon’s wings cease to flap, its heart ceases to beat and it collapses on the floor. The battle is over. Rise Above The sun rose laggardly over the horizon, casting its light everywhere and startling me awake from my dreams. I got up and stretched out my arms. My back was sore from the previous day's training and my head was still heavy from drink. I shuffled out of my living quarters and down the steps in the castle, not at all prepared for what was to come in the sleepy state I was in. I couldn't recall what we had been told the day before as I sat down on a bench in the dining hall, where breakfast was served promptly at dawn. Damn all the merrymaking last night, I thought to myself. All I could remember was that something important was supposed to happen...early...in the morning… I shook my head, deciding to think about something else, for instance, breakfast. That was when I noticed that it wasn’t there on the table. That's odd... I thought. The cook was very strict about serving meals on time: if you weren’t there, you didn’t get your meal. There was only so much for everyone and even I, the Prince, was subject to such rules; the general saw to that. Suddenly, the cries of battle and the clanging of swords reached my ears. A flood of memories came back to me as my sleep-filled eyes suddenly shot open. At that moment, I remembered what I had been told by the General: a battle against a neighboring kingdom was imminent and we had been ordered to be prepared for it since it was going to commence “very early in the morning.” I ran to the window and peered out to see my fellow knights locked in a heated battle. I hurried to my room, donned my armor, then dashed out onto the field, sword in hand. My fellow knights looked at me with a mixture of astonishment and gratitude as I charged into the heat of the battle, immediately clashing swords with my first opponent. He was vicious and ruthlessly countered my every move. However, I too could be vicious and before long I spied a weak spot and took the opportunity to jab my sword into his ribs. He collapsed, blood gushing from his wound, as I spun around to face my second opponent, who soon perished in the same manner. “Let me at him!” a voice roared just steps behind me. I turned around to see the enemy king, distinguishable by the carving on his armor of his kingdom's emblem. My heart skipped a beat before I stood strong, not wanting to give this new adversary an edge. “Sire, you don’t want to waste your time with this scoundrel, when the Prince is awaiting you!” a knight at his side advised, while embroiled in battle with an opponent of his own. “You fool, this IS the Prince and he has just killed two of our best knights! Don’t tell me what to do!” he spat, before launching himself in my direction, with his sword just barely missing my face. He was a skilled fighter. He never made the same move twice and was so agile I had no time to get in any jabs of my own. I was fighting a losing battle, and, as if that wasn't enough, I could feel my early morning fatigue and hangover returning. My head was getting hazy... “Not now...not now!” I muttered, shaking my head clear just in time to avoid a serious blow from the king's double-edged sword...but my moves were getting sluggish, my timing sloppy. This did not go unnoticed by the king, who laughed wickedly before using his sword to whack mine from my hand. I staggered and fell backward as he loomed over me. My sword cast far away, I had no protection save for my shield - not that it would be much help, I was so dreadfully tired that I couldn't see straight. Suddenly, I heard a voice, a woman’s voice. I felt a fierce wind as a lavender-colored spirit wound its way around me. I gasped when I realized it was my wife, whom I hadn't seen in years. For a brief second, I felt drops well up in my eyes, as I recalled the day she had died. I had just returned from one of the fiercest battles I had ever fought, when a servant ran up to me and handed me a letter. I opened it and my eyes immediately fell upon the sentence “She didn't survive the serpent bite.” At that, I tumbled onto the floor and wept what felt like fiery tears. She had been my rock. Just knowing that she would be waiting back home with open arms had helped me survive many a battle...but she was gone. As if to brush away the memory, the lavender-colored spirit reached under my chin and brought it up to face her, murmuring words I could not hear. But her voice...her voice was heavenly. It was so soothing and I felt my strength returning to me. The music reverts back to its action theme in full swing, this time accompanied by the vocalist, warding off the sleepiness that had encompassed the scene just a few seconds before... She continued to sing as I felt her slip my sword into my hand. I held it tight and then leapt up as she disappeared, her voice still echoing in my ears and the energy she had given me coursing wildly through my body. The king was startled by my sudden move, his face terrified. That was the last thing I saw before I plunged my sword into the one spot he had left unguarded, the one spot where his armor had slipped just enough to make him vulnerable-his heart. He fell to the ground, coughing up blood before he faded away. Everyone around me came to a halt and stared at the sight. No one could believe it: the battle was over, the battle was... A bullet suddenly struck me in the same spot I had killed the king--the heart. I gasped, my breath taken away from me as I staggered backwards and fell. My vision grew blurry, but for just a few seconds I saw my killer's face as he suddenly appeared above me. His eyes were blue and a noticeable scar ran from the corner of his left eye down his jawline. It was at that moment that everything faded to black. Victory Was I alive, was I dead? I wasn’t sure, but, for some reason, I didn’t panic. Instead, I assessed the situation. My heart wasn’t beating anymore, that much I knew, but my vision was returning. I could hear the click of guns now, as the knights changed their weapons, but I didn’t feel the ground shake with the thud of dead bodies falling. Of all the things to remember at that moment, I recalled the rule of battle that dictated if one soldier changed his weapon of choice, everyone else had to as well. I heard the voice again, that of my wife’s. Her lavender spirit rose above me and reached out her hands, taking mine and lifting me into a sitting position. I looked down and saw that I was colored a light blue. So now I had an answer-I too was a spirit. My wife continued to tug at my hands, until I was fully released from my body, which lay on the ground behind me, feeling lighter than air. She parted her lips, her sweet voice returning to me as I continued to rise with her, until I had a bird’s eye-view of the battle. I felt my strength returning as I surveyed the battlefield below. We were losing; I could see the opposing forces pushing their way to the castle. Ordinarily, when the king dies in battle, the whole fight ceases, however it seemed that the other knights sought to avenge my death. I was, after all, their Prince. Only now, I wished they would stop. I foolishly felt guilty, leaving them to fend for themselves, while I was safe from further wounds. I wanted to help, but how could I? My wife, possibly sensing my dejection, reached out to me and turned my face towards hers, bringing my hands up to me. I could see that they were tingling with magic and as she continued to sing, the sparks became brighter. I looked back at her before realizing what I had to do. I gave a quick nod before swooping back down and aiming my newly-formed magic at the members of my army that were visible. The first one to catch my magic was one of my closest friends. He didn’t see the magic, but it still produced some effect on him. He was now more assertive than before, much more skillful than his opponent. Although he had fallen to the ground, he now jumped three feet in the air. His opponent, blinded by the sun, closed his eyes and shielded his face, leaving his chest exposed. My friend aimed his gun, shot and killed the knight, before landing on his feet. He then rushed into the battle, shooting at every enemy soldier he could see; but that was not enough. I continued hovering above the battle, making sure to share my magic with every single one of my fighters. My wife kept singing her alluring song as she flew down to meet me, allowing both my magic, and, consequently, the strength and skill it bestowed upon everyone, to grow as well. Before long, every member of my army had caught my magic, using the force it bequeathed to kill the enemy. Soon, the enemy was vanquished. Everyone, including myself, gave a sigh of relief. The battle was over. We had prevailed. My wife and I had just been about to float back upwards to the heavens when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone who stood out from the rest. I moved to get a closer look at him and then I gasped. He possessed blue eyes...and a scar that ran down his face! My killer! Why hadn't anyone nabbed him? Then I realized, he had discarded his uniform for one of ours (mine in fact) and that meant that everyone was ignoring him. They were all too tired to notice this stranger in their midst. I felt the rage surge up in me…how could he just don my armor so casually? But I was powerless. My magic could only provide strength, not unmask a villain. I felt my heart sink as everyone headed back to the castle, while he leaned over my body and cackled wickedly. It was as if he was trying to rub it in my face--I’m alive and you’re dead and you can’t tell anyone I’m hiding in your uniform! I looked at my wife, who had returned to my side and she looked at me. She seemed regretful for a moment before nodding. Then a flash of light appeared and for a brief moment, I was blinded. A few seconds later, I felt stuck and heavy and my heart started to pound in my chest. I silently cheered, for my wife had put me back in my old body lying on the battlefield. I didn't have much strength, but hopefully my perseverance would outweigh that. My eyes fluttered and I saw him--the killer. I heard his laugh and felt my sword, which had stayed by my side even as I had plummeted to my death. With the last bit of strength and every ounce of anger I had, I moved my arm fast and plunged the clenched sword into his chest. He stopped laughing, coughing out blood as he fell backwards and soon ceased moving. Every knight had stopped and stared at the precise moment the coughs were heard. “Hey…the Prince just moved! His arm wasn’t in that position before.” one knight observed. Indeed, my arm was now outstretched, sword in hand, instead of by my side. “He just killed one of our soldiers!” another protested. But it was my friend who made the smartest comment of all. “No, not one of our own…he’s wearing the Prince’s garbs--look. The seal is on his chest, he was the one who killed the Prince," he pointed out. I smiled before feeling my wife tug at my arm once again. As all the knights ran to me to shake me awake in vain, my spirit left my body for the final time and my wife and I soared to the heavens. Some may wish they could live their life over again…but I only had one desire: for my army to emerge victorious. I may be dead, but victory--what a sweet word it is. Red Tower Red Tower “Harley, wake up,” my mom’s voice said from the front, startling me out of my dreams. “W-what is it?” I asked, barely stifling a yawn that I felt crawl up my throat. We had been driving for hours out West to see my great-grandpa. It had been a few years since we had last seen him, but my mom had decided that it was time to make the trip yet again, because my great-grandmother had recently died and he was “getting lonely with no company”. “Look out the window,” my mom said in a soft voice. Immediately my ears perked up- she only ever used that voice when something special was going to happen. I got up from my half-lying down, half-sitting position on the couch and glanced out the car window. What met my eyes was…indescribable, but I’ll try to explain it anyway. I saw a tower- kind of old-looking, but also regal, in spite of that. It was really tall, it’s spire seeming to stretch into the heavens. The bricks that it was fashioned out of were red, with bits of gray due to numerous years it had been in place. It looked like it was something straight out of a fairy tale. “What is this?” I asked incredulously. We were standing in front of the tower now. It was getting kind of dark, the wind whipping around us like a cold blanket, but we stayed where we were. “My grandmother used to bring me here every week and tell me stories about our ancestors,” my mother explained, taking my hand as she did so. “We had ancestors that lived here?” I questioned, not out of disbelief but in awe. “Yes. My grandma figured that they must have been my great-great-grandmother and so-and-so aunt.” “Can we go inside?” I asked, but it was as if the weather responded for me- rain began pelting down from the clouds that had formed overhead and we had no choice but to run to the tower to keep from getting wet. Perhaps foolishly, my mom had left the car parked at the bottom of the short hill that the tower was on, so we had to wait until the rain stopped before we could venture outside. Luckily, this allowed me plenty of time to explore. With my mom’s permission and after I promised to be careful, I began to make my way up the wooden stairs to the next floor and the first thing I saw was a door leading to another room. I grabbed the handle and opened it, hoping to find something that would be interesting…but it was as if that door led to some sort of time warp, because the next thing I knew I was in the past with my ancestors… Alice was sitting at her spinning wheel, fashioning a new gown for her sister. She didn’t want her to know about it, for it was a surprise. The Spring ball was coming up and all the ladies had been asked to wear dresses that were colors of the season. Alice was wearing yellow for the daffodils, but Margaret had ruined her best dresses while she was out horseback riding with her brothers. Oh foolish Margaret'', sighed Alice, but she was secretly proud of her sister for defying the rules set for her. Let’s just hope she doesn’t ruin this one, though, Alice reminded herself, holding up the dress to see what it looked like.'' It was red, the same color as her home, with puffed sleeves and a fabric that was smooth to the touch. Suddenly, the door opened and Alice, startled, dropped the dress. Margaret was in the doorway, soaking wet. “It’s so stormy out there!” Margaret laughed, before her eyes fell on the dress. “Oh, please forget what you just saw!” Alice pleaded in vain, attempting to grab the dress and hide it, only for Margaret to beat her to it. Margaret held it up and examined it, smiling. “You did this for me?” she asked. “Well,” Alice protested, “you need one for the ball and you ''absolutely can’t wear your dirtied gowns.”'' Margaret laughed and hugged her sister. “Just try it!” Margaret pleaded. Alice huffed. “I can’t try it if the horse doesn’t cooperate!” Margaret stifled a smile. “It’s not the horse’s fault- you need to have a looser grip on your reigns! If the horse feels pain, it won’t work with you!” Alice’s face turned pale, but she attempted to look down at the reigns so that it wouldn’t show. Oh, why did she allow her sister to convince her to do this silly exercise? They were supposed to be studying with their tutor, not play-acting in the woods. “Are you scared?” Margaret asked, pulling her horse to get closer to Alice’s. Alice looked up and nodded. “Look, just relax- the horse knows the way, don’t get scared. It’s a tame horse, really, I’ve ridden it before.” Margaret reassured her. Alice knew her sister, though she was more adventurous, she would never lie to her. So, nodding again, she took up the reigns and jostled them a bit before loosening her grip. The horse trotted slowly and then sped up a little. Alice was frightened and wanted to close her eyes, but Margaret’s voice rang clear to her: “you’re going great! I’m right behind you!” Alice opened her eyes a crack and looked at her surroundings. She was met with green trees and birds flying alongside her. Both of those things made her heartbeat adjust to something much more normal. Alice laughed, feeling the cool breeze and seeing her sister out of the corner of her eye catching up to her. When the two were side-by-side, their eyes met and they both sat up taller and let go of the reigns, their arms reaching out. It was almost as if they were flying. There was such a hustle and bustle in the kitchen as the servants got ready for the guest that was going to come- the musician. “I’ve ‘eard that ‘e’s ever so ‘andsome,” chuckled the cook. “Now that’s a wicked thought,” Alice said playfully. “Besides, he’s only coming for the weekend.” Margaret said pointedly, taking a pinch of the sugar from a nearby bowl and eating it up greedily. “No time for any wickedness there.” When the girls went up, there he was, sitting with their father. “Ah, girls, meet Isadore,” their father smiled, motioning to the black-haired, rather handsome looking young man. “It’s an honor to meet you, ladies!” he replied, taking each of their hands and kissing them. He had a slight Irish accent. “Oh, Isadore, why don’t you play them the song you just played me?” the King asked. Both girls, though neither would admit it when questioned later, were rather taken by this young man, so when he produced a cello and asked them to accompany him, they were eager to begin. Producing their own set of instruments, the girls soon picked up his tune and, before they knew it, they had formed a little trio and it seemed as if all the people in the castle had come to join them. “Sing!” cried a random voice from the crowd which seemed rather obviously directed at one of the girls, but both were so startled by the remark, but yet it sounded so urgent, that Margaret started singing in Latin. Alice almost lost grip of her instrument- her sister’s voice was heavenly- almost like an elf’s. Not one to be left out, she began to sing too, but, not knowing much Latin, instead made sounds with her voice to fill in the areas where her sister’s voice tapered off. The whole kingdom seemed to ring with their voices, Margaret’s elvish one and Alice’s deeper, more queenly-sounding one. “The rain has stopped!” my mother said, startling me out of my daydreams. I was sitting on the floor in the middle of what appeared to be the dining area that was in my vision, but it was as empty as a bottomless bucket. As we walked outside and made our way down, I told my mom what I had seen. She seemed rather surprised, telling me that those were three of the stories that her grandmother had relayed to her. However, at the mention of a vision, she simply shook her head, attributing it to my active imagination. I could still hear the voices as we drove off… Emasho Ematye Diiii Freedom Ship Freedom Ship We had been at sea for weeks now and no sign of it. It frustrated me to no end. I held my head in my hands as I sat on my bed, the waves outside rocking the ship just a little too fiercely for it to be considered peaceful. I know I should be out there, with my crew, but I can’t bear to see their disheartened and, in some cases mutinous, faces. When we had first set out, we had all been excited. The possibility of finding the glorified ship had clouded our minds like drink…but now our rations were running low and, even if we turned back now, we would never make to land before they ran out completely. Much to my surprise, I started to feel tears stream down my face. I shook my head, getting up as I did do. I was the captain. I needed to remain strong, even if most of the crew was ready to give up or turn on me. I walked up to the door that led to the deck, opened it and was met with a huge gust of wind. “Captain!” one of the crew, Leonard, called out, stumbling towards me as the boat violently rocked. “The storm has grown to humongous proportions! We need your help!” For a brief second everything went blank. I felt like giving up, just jumping into the waves and letting them carry me far away…but then I looked at his face and saw that, behind his fear, he was determined – determined to make it through. “All right!” I shouted, my voice barely audible above the wind. “Men, get to your places! I’ll man the wheel!” Soon, everyone was at their stations and we were braving the storm as best we could. My attention was so focused on the waves in front of me that I barely heard the screams. It was only when another shipmate touched my shoulder that I turned my head. “What?” I asked, a little more gruffly than I meant to. “Leonard’s gone over!” he cried and I felt my heart drop. Commanding him to man the wheel, I rushed to the side and scanned the seas for Leonard. He was nowhere to be found. “Leonard!” I screamed. “LEONARD!” It couldn’t be true…it couldn’t. “Peter, let me come with you.” Leonard pleaded, brushing his brown hair away from his eyes. '' “No, it’s too dangerous for you.” I stated, pretending to be busy with some papers on the desk in front of me.'' '' It was the day before we set sail. I had all of my crew already and we had packed most of our rations. The ship was also ready to go, ship-shape if you will. Yet, Leonard wished to come with us. God knows why – he already had a job as a skipper on another boat.'' '' “Peter, please,” he said, pushing the papers under my hands aside and turning my face to look at his. “You know that’s not the only reason. Why don’t you want me to come?”'' '' I looked down, but reached up to touch his hand. “You know why. If they hear of our relationship, they’ll kill you.”'' '' “Oh then let them kill me! I can’t bear the thought of seeing you leave tomorrow and not knowing if you’ll ever return.”'' '' “You have no experience!” I insisted.'' '' “I have enough,” he insisted back.'' '' Our eyes met and I…melted. I didn’t deserve him – he was so loyal to me. Though my brain said No, think of all the dangers, my heart said Yes.'' '' “All right, you can come. But only if-” I didn’t have time to finish, his lips were already pressed against mine.'' Tears flooded my eyes. Oh, why did I let him come? Then, something miraculous happened. In front of all of us, a ship started to rise up from the water – it was magnificent. First came its main topmast, then its fore topmast, its sails… “Captain…?” said a voice to my right. “I-is that…?” My eyes focused on the sails and I gasped. They were blue with an image of two maidens on it entwined around an anchor. It was exactly the same as the one in my history books. “The freedom ship…” I breathed. By now, the body of ship was starting to rise up. To my shock, I saw two maidens standing there – the same as the ones on the flag. One was reddish and had short hair that touched her shoulders. Her rounded face sported cat-like eyes and a cute little nose. The other was greenish, with hair that reminded me of a fairy queen and lazy, but kind, eyes. They were now abreast with us and all our eyes were fixated on them. Perhaps they had been doing it before, but we just started to notice that they were singing…some kind of elvish song. Being sailors, we were told to be suspicious of women that appeared from the ocean – sirens – but they seemed much too heavenly and beautiful to be sirens. We were all mesmerized by them – their voices like angels, timed perfectly with the crash of waves against both of our boats. For a brief moment, I wondered why we weren’t rocking with the waves as we had done before, but that thought was brushed aside when I heard someone call out my name. “Captain, look! In their arms!” said the voice and my eyes darted to that location. I could barely speak. There…hanging in their arms…was Leonard. My Leonard. The two spirits, perhaps sensing my excitement, floated above the ship and across to ours. Then, they reached Leonard out to me and I took him. I looked in their faces. “Thank you,” I whispered to them and they nodded, their voices still ringing in my ears… …and just like that, they disappeared and so did the ship…and so did the storm. All the crew looked confused for a minute, but then they turned all smiled at one another. Leonard started coughing, some seawater falling out of his mouth. I almost dropped him, but then I looked in his eyes and he looked up at mine. I was smiling, despite myself. “Why are you smiling?” He asked. “Because we found the Freedom Ship.” Na Vedui Once upon a time there was a king and a queen, who were the parents to three young daughters. The two eldest daughters were typical princesses, always trying to dress themselves up and look pretty for any princes that may visit the castle. The youngest, however, was different. She was not satisfied with waiting in a castle, pining after a prince who she wasn’t even sure would come. She would rather be surrounded by nature, feeding the squirrels and deer and feeling as free as a bird. Her parents often worried about her, especially given the fact that she was prone to wandering off in the forest when their backs were turned. However, for the first eighteen years of her life they elected to let things be. That is until, one day, the youngest daughter (let’s name her Isabel) left the castle after breakfast on her usual jaunt through the woods and didn’t come back for dinner. The king ordered his men out to seek her and they found her sleeping on a rock in a moonlit area. When awakened and brought to her father, he demanded to know what had happened to her. Her response was the following: “Oh Father, when I heard the most wonderful chirping among the birds. It was almost as if they were singing and I started singing as well. It was so lovely that I lost track of time.” Her father was so angry with her carelessness that he ordered her to be locked in her room until they could find a suitable husband that could “keep her in her place”. Now, at this time, in another kingdom not too far away, someone else was getting restless – a queen, this time. Her son had been going in the wood for days on end and only came back when he needed food or money. He was not a prince; he was a mere woodsman! He had no place among the stately! And so the wicked Queen devised a plan to get rid of him, for she was a witch in disguise. When the son (let’s call him Wilfred) arrived home a mere five minutes later, the Queen asked him inside and then closed the door. Then, with a whirl, she muttered some ancient magic words and pointed at him, turning him into a hummingbird. She pushed open the window and the poor bird, scared for its life, flew out and back into the woods. Unbeknownst to the bird, however, was the fact that the spell could be broken provided someone sang the song of the birds. Without this knowledge, Wilfred felt quite helpless and fluttered about aimlessly as the day turned to night. Isabel, back in her tower, was upset at her current circumstances. She felt the call of the woods too strong to be kept indoors. Suddenly, she saw a window to her right and devised a plan. Within minutes she had tied up all her dresses, apart from the one she was wearing, into a rope, which she tied to her door and threw out the window. She then descended down this makeshift rope and ran into the woods as soon as her feet touched the ground. As she entered the woods, her pace slowed and she felt the words of the birds enter her ears. She smiled and closed her eyes, waltzing through the woods as she sang it, the words slipping easily off her tongue in a language that seemed like that of elves (for that is what birds sound like if you care to listen close enough). Wilfred, who was a quarter of a mile away, heard this song and made his way towards it, his wings flapping incessantly for he felt a strong tug with each word. Finally, the two met in the middle of the woods, the moon shining down on them. Isabel smiled and continued to sing her song as the bird flew to her and landed on her outstretched hand. Eventually, the song neared its end and Wilfred felt the tug again and, before either of the two knew what was going on, Wilfred burst out of his small bird body with a bright flash of light and, to Isabel’s surprise, his human form stood before her. The two smiled at each other, their hearts immediately swelling despite the fact that they were utter strangers. They were soon wed and spent the rest of their days in the forest, singing the songs of birds and making up a few of their own. So now, if you ever hear any of the sounds of a forest, know that Isabel and Wilfred have passed by with their love for the wildlife. Ride to Victory (Renamed to Rousing Speech) It’s been a long, hard battle. But we won’t waiver in our mission To conquer the enemy. We still feel the determination In our hearts To do what we set out to do. We may be beaten We may have fallen But that has made us stronger And more certain than ever That what we are doing is right. So let’s ride back out, men! We can arise from the ashes And show the opposition That we can emerge victorious! And with that Cheers and shouts went up As the whole battalion jumped on their horses And rode out of the field Onwards to their victory. Flying Snow Snow. All I see is snow. Snow that whispers as it moves to the ground But now there’s a disruption. Boots clamp down on it Pushing the snow to the side As they make their way through. The snow is no longer a still curtain But one that has been lifted To make way for the soldiers. They cloud my view Off to fight Their faces fierce Their coats red And their bayonets sharp But my eyes dart back to the snow The flakes aren’t letting the soldiers take control of them They rise up Rise above And fly. Clock Tower Parade It had been three weeks since our last island sighting and we were all getting restless. When we had first received our mission, I remember all of us (including me) being agog with excitement. Making the first comprehensive map of the world? We would go down in history books! Indeed, our first few days had been quite eventful. We had stumbled across three islands, albeit uninhabited, that had gone uncharted until we came along. Being the only one of our crew blessed with mapmaking skills that had come from my father, I was the obvious choice to chronicle them on the parchment, my hand shaking with exhilaration as I plotted them. But now we had hit a drought, so to speak. We had been sailing northward by my compass but no sign of anything - new or old. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad had the skies bestowed us with wind, but there wasn’t even a slight breeze coursing through the ship and the sea was so calm that it made it seem as if we were all just sitting in the water as opposed to adventuring. More than once I had heard people mutter under their breath “Oh, if only there was a storm! Then there would be some excitement.” I’m sure they didn’t really mean that - a storm could spell trouble for our ship, but we were, for a lack of other words, bored. Sitting on the edge of the ship, I looked down at my compass, its needle still pointing northwards. It had been given to me by my mother before we set off and it was the only thing that kept me going now - knowing that my family would be proud of my achievement. Suddenly, I noticed the needle go a bit off-center. Then, to my amazement, the needle started going crazy, spinning clockwise in such a blur that I could no longer see it properly. It was then that I heard something else - a scream. Looking up, I gasped at the wave that towered above us. Where had it come from? The sea had been as calm as a mill pond not two seconds earlier! But I barely had time to think of anything else before the wave let gravity take over and fell down upon us with a SPLASH! My vision was blurred and I stumbled and fell as the ship rocked violently, clutching the compass close to me as I felt the wooden floor press against me. It was all over in a few seconds and when I was sure the wave had done its damage, I ventured to open my eyes and look around me. The crew that was above deck were all dripping wet and the captain, at the helm, had also stumbled and now lay on the floor, looking a bit shell shocked. Raising myself, I tested my joints to make sure everything was still working properly before my eyes suddenly took in the environment outside the ship. I gasped. No longer was there just empty sky around us, but small rocks and islands with giants on them surrounding the ship on both sides. They were dressed in togas, sandals and other simple garments and their appearance reminded me of...of...but what did they remind me of? I racked my brain, but the right words escaped me. Shouts sounded out from my left, startling me out of my thoughts and I joined the rest of the crew at the side of the ship to see what was causing such a fuss. Was that Atlas? He was just as tall as the others that surrounded us, but he had a pained expression on his face and was down on his knees. Even from this distance, I could tell he was sweating profusely as he struggled to hold the sky in place. That was when it all clicked - we were in the land of the gods and titans! They had reminded me of the pictures of their statues that decorated our history books back home. The realization must have hit everyone else at the same time, because suddenly everyone was pointing around and exclaiming things like “Hera! Zeus!” I could hardly restrain myself thinking of all the new territory we would need to map. Taking out my handy notebook which I keep stored in my pocket, I started to scrawl down the characteristics of the place. Large rock wall decorates the front of the area. Small hole inside - big enough to fit our ship if we tried. “CRAAWK!” Startled, I dropped my notebook and pen and looked towards where the nightmarish sound had come from. My heart skipped a beat. A gigantic sea serpent had risen a few yards behind us and, if its glowing eyes and smoking nostrils were any indication, it was not happy to see us. Everyone stood stunned for a few seconds, but then our captain broke the spell it had on us and started barking out orders to everyone, the ship soon becoming a hub of activity as the crew rushed to their places. I ran to the captain’s side as he manned the helm. Sweat dotted his brow as he steered towards the hole I had noticed earlier. “It’s our only chance,” he muttered to me. “We can fit in it, but that serpent won’t be able to.” In spite of myself, I felt my face grow warm with excitement. This was an adventure all right! I heard the noise of a cannon being fired and the accompanying shouts of the crew. I didn't need to look behind me to know that they were trying to slow the creature down, but if it was anything like the gods that surrounded us, it couldn't be stopped by just a few measly cannonballs. The captain gripped the wheel tighter as the hole came closer. Looking behind me, I saw the beast bearing down on us, making the same monstrous noise again and again. It seemed to be aware that if we made it through we would be safe from its clutches. “Faster captain, faster!” I muttered to myself, my heart pounding. “CRAAW! CRAAW!” The boat crested against the rocks that decorated the beginning of the hole... BOOM! More cannons. ...It was a tight fit but the serpent was making such a ruckus that the waves helped push us through... CRACK! The hull scraped the sides of the hole. ...I heard the beast again, this time sounding even closer. I didn't dare to look back... ...and suddenly everything went deathly quiet. I opened my eyes, which I hadn't even realized were closed, and ventured to look around me. With a start, I realized we were back on the calm waters of before. I saw nothing of the wall we had gone through nor of the gods we had shared company with just minutes before. Everyone looked dazed and confused, including the captain and myself. Taking out my compass, I saw the needle had stopped quivering and was pointing northward again and when I ventured to look over the railing I saw there was not even one scratch on the ship. Everything was the same as before. Had it all been a dream? But what kind of dream is shared by everyone? “Land ho!” came a voice from the crow's nest, wrenching through our collective thoughts. Everyone looked and gasped. Indeed, there was land! Right next to us not five miles away! The captain started barking out orders again and everyone obliged, the adventures of the day behind them as they let this new island take hold of their minds. Except for me. For a brief moment, I felt disappointed. We had just been among the gods for all of two minutes and now here we were, smack dab back in the real world. But looking around at the crew, I realized that even if we didn't get to meet the gods and map their land, at least we had gotten the excitement we had wanted and an adventure that would last us a lifetime. With a smile on my face, I ran to my cabin to get my mapmaking tools. Maybe we would name this island Atlas. Category:Blog posts